Exercise Predicts a Good Night’s Sleep: Preliminary Findings from a UCLA Study of First-Episode Schizophrenia
Background: Physical exercise can improve sleep quality in the general population. Understanding the negative impact of poor sleep quality on multiple domains of functioning among persons with schizophrenia is a new frontier of exploration. It is also imperative to investigate non-pharmacologic meth...
| Main Authors: | , , , , , , , , , , , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2023-01-01
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| Series: | Behavioral Sciences |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/2/88 |
| _version_ | 1797622367039520768 |
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| author | Kenneth L. Subotnik Sarah C. McEwen Joseph Ventura Luana Rene Turner Yurika Sturdevant Trudy L. Niess Laurie R. Casaus Margaret G. Distler Michael F. Zito Gerhard S. Hellemann Clara D. Nguyen Keith H. Nuechterlein |
| author_facet | Kenneth L. Subotnik Sarah C. McEwen Joseph Ventura Luana Rene Turner Yurika Sturdevant Trudy L. Niess Laurie R. Casaus Margaret G. Distler Michael F. Zito Gerhard S. Hellemann Clara D. Nguyen Keith H. Nuechterlein |
| author_sort | Kenneth L. Subotnik |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Background: Physical exercise can improve sleep quality in the general population. Understanding the negative impact of poor sleep quality on multiple domains of functioning among persons with schizophrenia is a new frontier of exploration. It is also imperative to investigate non-pharmacologic methods to improve sleep quality as these approaches may not carry the side effect burdens associated with medication. Objective: We examined the relationship between regular physical exercise and sleep quality among participants in an intervention consisting of both cognitive training and exercise. Methods: Participants (N = 48) were schizophrenia patients who had a first psychotic episode within two years of study entry. Participants received 4 h/week of internet-based cognitive training and an aerobic exercise program over a 6-month period. Sleep was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at baseline and six months later. Results: During the 3 months prior to the 6-month follow-up sleep assessment, participants completed an average of 12.6 group exercise sessions and an average of 12.9 individual at-home exercise sessions. A significant relationship between the number of exercise sessions and global sleep quality was seen at month six, r = −0.44, df = 39, <i>p</i> < 0.01. Group exercise frequency was also associated with improvement in global sleep quality over the six-month intervention, t(34) = −2.84, <i>p</i> = 0.008. Conclusion: We demonstrated that a group of young adults with schizophrenia can be engaged in a regular exercise program, even during the tumultuous early course of the disorder. The number of exercise sessions in which they participated was associated with better sleep quality at six months and pre–postintervention improvement in sleep quality. Key message: Improved sleep quality appears to be a benefit of regular exercise among individuals with serious mental illness. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:09:16Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-aa1273d92a3e40368327a3da3db8932e |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2076-328X |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-11T09:09:16Z |
| publishDate | 2023-01-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Behavioral Sciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-aa1273d92a3e40368327a3da3db8932e2023-11-16T19:08:20ZengMDPI AGBehavioral Sciences2076-328X2023-01-011328810.3390/bs13020088Exercise Predicts a Good Night’s Sleep: Preliminary Findings from a UCLA Study of First-Episode SchizophreniaKenneth L. Subotnik0Sarah C. McEwen1Joseph Ventura2Luana Rene Turner3Yurika Sturdevant4Trudy L. Niess5Laurie R. Casaus6Margaret G. Distler7Michael F. Zito8Gerhard S. Hellemann9Clara D. Nguyen10Keith H. Nuechterlein11Department of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USADepartment of Psychiatry and Biobehavioral Sciences, UCLA, Los Angeles, CA 90095, USABackground: Physical exercise can improve sleep quality in the general population. Understanding the negative impact of poor sleep quality on multiple domains of functioning among persons with schizophrenia is a new frontier of exploration. It is also imperative to investigate non-pharmacologic methods to improve sleep quality as these approaches may not carry the side effect burdens associated with medication. Objective: We examined the relationship between regular physical exercise and sleep quality among participants in an intervention consisting of both cognitive training and exercise. Methods: Participants (N = 48) were schizophrenia patients who had a first psychotic episode within two years of study entry. Participants received 4 h/week of internet-based cognitive training and an aerobic exercise program over a 6-month period. Sleep was assessed with the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index at baseline and six months later. Results: During the 3 months prior to the 6-month follow-up sleep assessment, participants completed an average of 12.6 group exercise sessions and an average of 12.9 individual at-home exercise sessions. A significant relationship between the number of exercise sessions and global sleep quality was seen at month six, r = −0.44, df = 39, <i>p</i> < 0.01. Group exercise frequency was also associated with improvement in global sleep quality over the six-month intervention, t(34) = −2.84, <i>p</i> = 0.008. Conclusion: We demonstrated that a group of young adults with schizophrenia can be engaged in a regular exercise program, even during the tumultuous early course of the disorder. The number of exercise sessions in which they participated was associated with better sleep quality at six months and pre–postintervention improvement in sleep quality. Key message: Improved sleep quality appears to be a benefit of regular exercise among individuals with serious mental illness.https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/2/88schizophreniasleep qualityaerobic exercise |
| spellingShingle | Kenneth L. Subotnik Sarah C. McEwen Joseph Ventura Luana Rene Turner Yurika Sturdevant Trudy L. Niess Laurie R. Casaus Margaret G. Distler Michael F. Zito Gerhard S. Hellemann Clara D. Nguyen Keith H. Nuechterlein Exercise Predicts a Good Night’s Sleep: Preliminary Findings from a UCLA Study of First-Episode Schizophrenia Behavioral Sciences schizophrenia sleep quality aerobic exercise |
| title | Exercise Predicts a Good Night’s Sleep: Preliminary Findings from a UCLA Study of First-Episode Schizophrenia |
| title_full | Exercise Predicts a Good Night’s Sleep: Preliminary Findings from a UCLA Study of First-Episode Schizophrenia |
| title_fullStr | Exercise Predicts a Good Night’s Sleep: Preliminary Findings from a UCLA Study of First-Episode Schizophrenia |
| title_full_unstemmed | Exercise Predicts a Good Night’s Sleep: Preliminary Findings from a UCLA Study of First-Episode Schizophrenia |
| title_short | Exercise Predicts a Good Night’s Sleep: Preliminary Findings from a UCLA Study of First-Episode Schizophrenia |
| title_sort | exercise predicts a good night s sleep preliminary findings from a ucla study of first episode schizophrenia |
| topic | schizophrenia sleep quality aerobic exercise |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2076-328X/13/2/88 |
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